A Trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains: Primland Auberge Summer 2025
Earlier this year, my husband and I visited the Primland Resort in Meadows of Dan, VA- we are looking forward to visiting again in August for my birthday, and before we head back, I wanted to share some highlights from our trip- it’s about a five hour drive from the DC/northern VA area and perfect for a weekend getaway (especially if you love hiking/the outdoors- more on that below!) Extremely grateful to Auberge Resorts for this opportunity!
When we first arrived, we were immediately greeted by the kindest staff, who brought us drinks (a glass of wine for me, and whiskey for my husband) while we checked in. Everyone was so genuinely nice and it made me so excited to be there. We stayed in the Bluebird building, one of the Pinnacle Suites on the property. The Pinnacle Suites are little cottages about a five minute walk and two minute drive from the lodge, so it was super convenient to get to and from the main building, but still felt like we were on a private vacation, just the two of us.
The suite was AMAZING- we had a full-size living room with floor to ceiling windows and an incredible view of the mountains. Dylan joked that we should go back sometime with our friends because there was easily enough room to sleep a few extra people! There was a huge stone fireplace in the living room which ended up getting a lot of good use. Both the living room and our bedroom had private balconies with seating that overlooked the mountains. We had a walk-in shower in the bathroom and a soaking tub with a window that also (you’re probably getting sick of hearing it at this point!) overlooked the mountains.
I always overpack whenever I go anywhere, and this trip was no different- I ended up wearing black jeans and a sweater and boots when we went to dinner at the lodge (more on that below)- I’d brought heels with me but ended up leaving them in my suitcase because it was a chilly weekend and I wanted to be comfortable walking back and forth from our room. Other than a few nice outfits, I packed a lot of workout/lounge outfits, my running shoes, and hiking boots. At the lodge, everyone was dressed nice but casual and comfortable.
EAT
We had the best dinner at Leatherflower! Leatherflower is in the main building (the lodge) and was very pretty- we sat next to a big fireplace and overlooked the golf course, which is beautiful. Dylan used to own a barbeque business, and can be kind of picky about food, and he said it was one of the best meals he’s had- we ordered a lot (I think our waiter probably thought we had other people coming, ha!), but some highlights for me were the beet + burrata appetizer and the chocolate custard dessert. Dylan’s favorites were the beef tartare and the ribeye.
We ended up getting room service a few times, too, and it was so quick and the servers were so friendly. One thing we did miss this time but hope to do next visit is Stables Saloon- when I was chatting with other people who have visited, a few mentioned it as a highlight, so it’s definitely on my list for next time (the food is served family style, and apparently there’s live music!)
DRINK
We had great cocktails at Leatherflower- I always love an old fashioned, so we got the Southern Old Fashioned and the Highland Old Fashioned to compare, and my favorite was the Southern, and we also went to 19th Pub for a glass of wine and a whiskey.
SHOP
Because we were a little tight on timing, we didn’t get to do too much driving around/exploring the area, but I had noticed that there was a vintage shop close by, so we drove to check it out- Jerry & Connie’s House of Collectibles. It was definitely a hole-in-the-wall type place, but it was my ideal kind of vintage shop because there was a ton to sort through and I did end up taking some great finds with me- I found a little picnic basket with a chintz liner, some spongeware candlesticks and a spongeware vase, and some quartzite fruits I plan to repurpose. I’ve heard great things about some of the other antique shops nearby and noticed a lot of antique shops on the drive down from northern VA, so I’m hoping to get a little bit more antiquing in if we visit again! I also am dying to visit the lavender farm nearby- we went to one on our honeymoon in NZ and there’s one in MI I go to every summer, so I was excited to see that there’s one in the area- High Country Lavender Farm- and think it would be so fun to go in the summer during harvesting season.
ACTIVITIES
I love hiking, but don’t get a chance to do it often anymore with a three year old at home, so I was so excited to hear that there were hiking trails at Primland, and even more excited when I realized that the trailhead for one of them, Buzzard’s Roost, was footsteps away from our suite. I hiked most of the trail until it got too windy, and ended up getting off at the golf course (which is also stunning). There were so many great views of the mountains and a lot of little footbridges and creeks along the way.
On our drive from the gate to the lodge, we noticed the lake/kayaking area, and that’s definitely something I would love to try when we come back in the summer.
Because it was too windy for golfing one morning of our visit, the course was open to walk/run along, and I went on a run along the course. I forgot my swimsuit, but I did check out the indoor pool, which was so pretty, with big windows out to the course.
SPA
I loved my facial at the spa (the indoor pool is downstairs in the lodge, connected to the spa area). There was a private hot tub and steam room in the women’s changing areas and huge walk-in showers, and the lounge area reminded me a lot of the one at the Mayflower, where we visited last winter- there were chaises that looked out through floor to ceiling windows over the golf course. I went right at golden hour and would highly recommend doing the same and grabbing a glass of champagne after your treatment while relaxing in the lounge area!
Family-friendly
The whole time we were at Primland, I was thinking about how much fun it will be to bring our three year old daughter with us when we visit later this summer. Leatherflower and the pub are both right in the lodge, and so is the observatory (where you can go see the stars at night- we noticed on our walk back to our suite at night that the skies were so clear, since we were out in the mountains), and the indoor pool. There were kids playing in the indoor pool when I stopped by, and I know that’s where we would have been with Bryn!
I noticed that they also do complimentary s’mores at the Primland in the outdoor fire pit area (right outside the lobby, overlooking the golf course)- we had s’mores while we were at the Mayflower and I think it’s just a really nice touch, especially for families who come with kids!
Although I went on one of the harder hikes (I realized after the fact- oops!), they have a few trails that looked well-suited for families with kids, and I also noticed some families walking around the grounds/course while we were there.
I know that Bryn would love the observatory, as we always like to point out the stars at home, but sometimes it’s hard since we’re close to the city!
Finally- when I chatted with other people who have visited, they all mentioned that Stables Saloon (which I mentioned earlier) is great for kids, since the family style meals (chicken and Mac and cheese) are kid-friendly, and there’s live music (which my daughter loves!)
Finally- as an artist- I just have to say how much I loved and appreciated the interiors of the spaces throughout the lodge, especially the main area/great hall. On our drive down to Primland, I kept noticing these little quilt-like motifs on all of the barns (I am obsessed with quilts), and when we walked into the great hall, there were these beautiful quilts on the walls inspired by regional decor. The space was also filled with antiques and the coffee tables were made to look like museum casings with “artifacts” inside- textiles and beads, etc. I always love when the art and design of a space is reflective of its history and culture, and they just did a beautiful job with Primland!